1The White Desert is part of the Sahara Desert in Egypt. It’s got soft white sand and at night it looks like the Arctic. Sandstorms have created huge chalk rocks like the one in this picture. Tourists often go on camping trips and stay there overnight.

Fascinating Places

The highest temperature ever recorded in the Sahara Desert was 58°C.

Did you know?

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1 Kristie, Mikey, Adam and their parents are visiting Egypt. Listen and read Kristie’s blog about a special trip they are taking. What does Kristie say about the sky?

Comprehension2 Write T (true) or F (false).

1 Jeeps are not very useful in the desert. 2 There are mushrooms in the White Desert. 3 Kristie’s sleeping in a tent. 4 It’s cold in the desert in the morning. 5 Nomads don’t live in one place all

the time. 6 There are two huge statues inside the

Great Temple.

Vocabulary3 Match some of the highlighted words with these

meanings.

1 a meal cooked outside on a fire 2 unusual and difficult to understand 3 an area of land where there is very

little rain 4 the time when the sun first appears

in the morning 5 a person who takes tourists to

places and shows them around

4 Label the pictures with these words.

bridge gallery market statue temple wall

6 Complete the dialogue with the Present Simple or the Present Continuous of the verbs in brackets.

Tim: What (1) (you/do)?Lucy: I (2) (look) at a website.

It has got lots of interesting information about Britain. For example, 30,000 people (3) (have) the name John Smith!

Tim: Really? I don’t know anyone with that name. So, what else (4) (it/say)?

Lucy: Well, 80,000 people (5) (leave) their umbrellas on London Underground trains every year!

Tim: 80,000? Wow! Anyway, come on now, we’ve got to go. We (6) (meet) Liz at 1 o’clock and we’re late.

Lucy: Oh yes I forgot about that! The bus (7) (arrive) at 3 o’clock and it’s ten to three now. Come on, what (8) (you/wait) for? Let’s go!

7 Listen to the information about the London Eye and complete the notes.

5 Complete the sentences with the Present Simple or the Present Continuous of these verbs.

check leave look not live sleep travel

1 My parents to Egypt tomorrow. 2 he his emails every day? 3 We in tents tonight. 4 Why you at the map? 5 Nomads in the same place for

very long. 6 your train at 4.00

tomorrow afternoon?

Place: (1) LondonOpening times: 10 am – (2) pmCost of tickets: adults (3) £ ;

children £7.75Tickets: book on the (4) or

buy from the ticket officeRide lasts: (5) minutes

Speaking 8 Ask and answer these questions about a famous

landmark in your country with a partner. Use these words and other vocabulary from this lesson to help you.

ancient beautiful huge impressive interesting modern ugly

1 What’s its name? 2 Where is it? 3 How old is it? 4 Why do people visit it? 5 Why do you like/not like it?

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1 1 A Special Trip

GrammarPresent Simple and Present ContinuousWe use the Present Simple to talk about:a general truths.

In Scotland, people speak English.b things we do regularly.

Do you write in your blog every day?c permanent states.

Her mum works in an art gallery.d timetabled and programmed events in the future.

The train to Glasgow leaves at 9.00 tomorrow morning.

We use the Present Continuous to talk about:a things that are temporary or are happening now or

around now. I’m not looking at the map. I’m reading a book.

b what is happening in a picture or photograph. In this photograph, Kristie is standing outside the Great Temple.

c fixed future plans. Are you leaving tomorrow?

Time Expressions

Present Simple: every day, on Mondays, at the weekendPresent Continuous: now, at the moment, this year, today

1 2 3

4 5 6

The London Eye

Home News Activities Photos Contact

Wednesday 5th July7 amTonight we’re going to camp in the White Desert. We’re going there in a Jeep. The sand is soft, so the best way to travel is by Jeep. It’s a long drive but the views are wonderful.

3 pm We’re in the desert! It’s truly magnificent! The sand is white and it looks like snow. The desert has got tall white rocks which have strange shapes. They look like mushrooms or trees! Adam is taking lots of photos. This one shows a rock which is called ‘the rabbit’! I’m very excited but I feel very hot!

7 pm We’re having a barbecue in the desert. Our guide, Akil, is cooking meat and vegetables. It smells delicious and I’m starving!

9 pm Tourists usually sleep in tents but we’re sleeping under the stars! It’s the most beautiful night sky I’ve ever seen! We can see desert foxes coming out of the sand to look for food.

Thursday 6th July5.30 am We’re drinking hot tea and we’re watching the sunrise. It’s very cold. Nomads, people who travel from place to place all the time, are riding their camels. Later, we are visiting the Great Temple, one of the landmarks of Egypt. There are two huge statues of King Ramesses II outside the temple. I can’t wait!

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5 Circle the correct words.

1 What time did the plane take after / off? 2 Where do we have to check in / up for our flight? 3 Gary and I are going away / about for the weekend. 4 Can we all get in / on a taxi and go to the airport? 5 Our flight is at ten, so we need to set about / off at

seven o’clock. 6 Kristie isn’t here at the moment. She’s coming

back / across this afternoon. 7 Get on / over the tram! It leaves in one minute! 8 Our car has broken into / down – we’ll have to go

by taxi.

Phrasal Verbs

4 Circle the correct words.

1 The path is very deep / steep and it isn’t safe for children. 2 There are minerals / terraces on the side of the hill. 3 The desert is flat / shallow with huge white rocks. 4 Is this country road wide / narrow enough for a jeep? 5 The grass is muddy / sandy because it rained last night.

7 Complete the sentences with the Present Simple or the Present Continuous of the verbs in brackets.

1 I (not think) camping in the desert is fun.

2 Karen can’t come with us tonight because she (see) Josh.

3 My brother (think) about going rock climbing.

4 ‘He lives in Wimbledon but he works in London.’ ‘Oh I (see)!’

5 (she/think) about moving to Edinburgh?

8 Listen to the conversation and number the pictures in the correct order.

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2 1 Pool with a View

6 Complete the postcard with the Present Simple or the Present Continuous of the verbs in brackets.

Speaking9 Look at the pictures above and role-play the

conversation with your partner.

GrammarStative VerbsThere are some verbs that we don’t usually use in continuous tenses. These include verbs of:feelings: hate, like, love, prefer, wantpossession: belong to, ownunderstanding and opinion: believe, know, remember, understandsenses: feel, hear, see, smell

See and ThinkWe can use some stative verbs in the Present Simple and the Present Continuous, but the meaning changes.The doctor is seeing someone at the moment. (see = have an appointment with)‘The path to the river goes down there.’ ‘I see.’ (see = understand)What do you think of the view? (think = have an opinion)We’re thinking about going to the USA this year. (think = consider)

Reading1 Listen and read the article.

Why can’t visitors go for a swim in these pools now?

These strange, beautiful pools in Pamukkale, Asia, are one of the most amazing wonders of the world. The pools of water with white walls are on terraces and they look like frozen waterfalls. It’s hard to believe, but these spectacular pools are completely natural!

So how did these pools form? Well, scientists think that earthquakes created holes in the ground around two million years ago. Then, hot water from springs 320 metres under the ground came up through these holes and flowed down the terraces. The hot water contained a mineral that slowly formed the white walls and made the pools. The water is still flowing today.

The site has been an attraction for visitors for thousands of years. In ancient times, people believed that the water could help them with health problems, so they built the city of Hierapolis nearby. People kept swimming in these pools until the middle of the 20th century, but the pools are now closed to visitors to protect them from damage.

Today people from all over the world visit the site. Visitors love to walk round the pools on special paths or visit the Archaeology Museum and the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis, with its walls, theatre and ancient temple.

Comprehension2 Write R (Right), W (Wrong) or DS (Doesn’t say).

1 The pools have got frozen waters. 2 There are 320 pools in Pamukkale. 3 The springs are hundreds of metres

under the ground. 4 The Romans built Hierapolis. 5 Tourists can’t swim in the pools any more. 6 Tourists have done a lot of damage to

the pools.

Vocabulary3 Complete the sentences with some of the highlighted

words in the article.

1 The fireworks were . 2 There are two to the top of the mountain. 3 They grow vegetables on on the hillside. 4 The strong wind has done a lot of to our

roof. 5 We visited the of the ancient city of

Corinth. 6 How did these huge rocks ?

Hi Amanda!James and I (1) (enjoy) our visit to Scotland! It’s an amazing place! (2) (you/remember) our geography project about caves? Well, here in Durness there is a cave with a waterfall! It’s called Smoo Cave and it’s spectacular! James is not here with me today. He (3) (not like) caves – I (4) (not know) why! He (5) (prefer) castles, so we (6) (go) to visit a famous one tomorrow.

See you soon!Becky

a d

b e

c fThe hot springs of Aedipsos are found under the sea. People with health problems have been using these springs for thousands of years.Did you know?

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George, 12, GreeceGreece is famous for its ancient temples and sandy beaches, but did you know that it has over 400 wetlands? This year I’m spending my holidays in the north of Greece, in a small village near Lake Kerkini. Lake Kerkini is a very important wetland which has over 300 kinds of birds! You can go kayaking or surfing on the lake too! There are also places nearby where you can go horse riding or play paintball.

Reading1 Listen and read as three teenagers talk

about amazing places in their countries that you probably haven’t heard of. Which two teenagers mention lakes?

Ajay, 13, IndiaVery few tourists who visit India know about the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. There’s a special train which uses the railway and it’s called the ‘Toy Train’ because it’s so small. The journey to the town of Darjeeling is very slow because the route through the mountains is steep and narrow. The 80-kilometre journey sometimes takes 10 hours, but the views of high waterfalls, bridges and tropical jungle are impressive!

Task

WritingThere is/There are, It is/They are

6 Read about the difference in use.

There is and There are are used to say what exists in a place we are describing. We then use It is and They are to refer back or to continue talking about what exists.There is an ancient temple on that hill. It is very famous.There are many paths in the forest. They are very narrow.

7 Complete the description with there, it or they.

Pembrokeshire, which is in Wales, is a fantastic place for a holiday. (1) is a national park by the sea. (2) is beautiful and has got a path which is 300 km long!In Pembrokeshire, (3) are lots of nice beaches and old castles like Pembroke Castle in the photo. (4) is also an island which you can visit by boat. (5) is ideal for a day trip!(6) are great hotels and restaurants too. (7) are cheap and they have special prices for children. I recommend a holiday in Pembrokeshire because it’s beautiful and interesting.

Comprehension2 Answer the questions.

1 What’s another name for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway train?

2 Why is the train to Darjeeling slow? 3 Where is Lake Kerkini? 4 Why is Lake Kerkini important? 5 What is a fiord? 6 How did many people get to know about ‘Fiordland’?

4 Complete the sentences with these words.

when where which who whose

1 The film they made in New Zealand is great. 2 Christopher, is my cousin, lives in Sweden. 3 Last Friday, we visited Brighton, it was Dad’s

birthday. 4 Heather, mum is a travel agent, is visiting

France at the moment. 5 The place I saw some hot springs is in England.

8 Write a description of a famous place or landmark in your country. Include defining and non-defining clauses in your description and vocabulary from this unit.

Answer the questions:What’s its name?Where is it?What is there to see and do there?Why do you think it’s interesting?Why do you recommend it?

9 Read your description and make sure you have used There is, There are, It is and They are correctly.

Grammar

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3 1 Secret Destinations

Relative ClausesWe use relative clauses to give more information about people, animals and things. A relative clause begins with a relative pronoun (who, whose and which) or a relative adverb (where and when).Is that the boy whose name is Ajay?Ireland is a place where it often rains.

There are two types of relative clauses: defining andnon-defining.

Defining relative clauses give essential information about something or someone. Τhey can’t be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. In defining relative clauses, we can use that instead of who and which.Japan is a country which/that seems very interesting.

Non-defining relative clauses give extra informationabout something or someone. We separate them from the main part of the sentence with commas. We can’t use that instead of who and which.Crete, which is an island, is in Greece.Debbie, who comes from New Zealand, is 15 years old.Sydney, where my grandparents live, is a big city.

Use adjectives to make your description more interesting.

5 Tick the sentences that are correct and correct the other ones.

1 The train, that leaves at ten o’clock, is for Oxford.

2 This is the hotel where we are staying. 3 Lisbon which is the capital of Portugal

is a great place for a holiday. 4 My dad, that loves ancient temples,

wants to go to Delphi. 5 Is this a picture of the fiord, where you went?

Using time expressionsPresent Simplealways often never once a week usually sometimes frequently every day/weekWe frequently go surfing in the summer.They meet their friends once a week.

Present Continuous(right) now at the moment for the time beingWe are staying at a small hotel at the moment. Jenny is checking her emails right now.

Time expressions with prepositionson Saturdays in July on 15th August at twelve o’clock in summer in 2014I always do something special on Sundays.He’s flying to New York in July.

3 Talk to your partner about holidays. Practise the time expressions above.

Express yourself!

Debbie, 15, New ZealandNorway is the place where you expect to find fiords, but we have our own ‘Fiordland’ in New Zealand! Some of the fiords, which are deep lakes between high mountains, are over 200 metres deep! ‘Fiordland’ is the largest national park in New Zealand. A lot of people know about it because they made the film Lord of the Rings there. The people who know about it want to keep it a secret, though!

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